ZECO TRAVEL TALK

January 9, 2009 marks the centenary of the “Farthest South” of the Shackleton Nimrod expedition to the South Pole, a round-trip trek on foot of 1,700 miles. The team of four set out on a bright sunny day on October 29, 1908. On November 26 they moved past the last “farthest south” record set by explorer Robert Scott in 1902.

By January 2, 1909, Shackleton was near the breaking point. “I cannot think of failure yet. I must look at the matter sensibly and consider the lives of those who are with me…man can only do his best…” Two days later he wrote, “The end is in sight. We can only go for three more days at the most, for we are weakening rapidly.” They fought through a blizzard on January 4, 5, and 6. On January 7, only 100 miles from the pole, a howling blizzard kept them in their sleeping bags all day. It was the same on January 8. The end of their southern journey began at 4 a.m. on January 9. They left the sledge, tent and food at the camp and took only the Union Jack, a brass cylinder containing stamps and documents to mark their farthest south, camera, glasses, and a compass. Their farthest south was reached at 9 a.m.: 88°23’S, longitude 162°— just 97 miles from the South Pole. (From www.south-pole.com)
Our 2009/2010 Antarctica, South Georgia & The Falkland Islands expeditions visit the site of Sir Shackleton’s grave at Grytviken, South Georgia.

Next year, in 2010, Zegrahm Expeditions will cruise into its 20th year of bringing travelers to the farflung corners of the globe. In that spirit, we invite you to join us on one of two voyages to our most popular destinations as we celebrate this landmark occasion. Four of our founders will be on board, regaling us with historical and humorous tales of life in this fascinating business.

Circumnavigation of South Georgia
Aboard Clipper Adventurer | Oct / Nov 2010
We return to one of the wildest places on Earth to witness the world’s densest concentration of wildlife—thousands of king penguins, more than a million fur and elephants seals, and numerous species of seabirds, including the wandering albatross, the largest of all flying birds.

New Zealand to New Guinea, with Norfolk Island
Aboard Clipper Odyssey | Jan / Feb 2010
This expansive Pacific itinerary takes us from Auckland to Norfolk Island, a first for us. Melanesia, and its wealth of natural and cultural diversity await as we explore New Caledonia, Vanuatu, Solomons, and Papua New Guinea.

Among the many passions of Jack Grove—marine biologist, naturalist, author, photographer, Zegrahm cofounder, and expedition-leader-at-large—conservation and sustainability top the list. With seven continents and nearly every sea on the map checked off, Jack has had many opportunities to witness nature at its most prolific, and at its most endangered.

On May 5, 2009, Jack will address the National Association of Environmental Professionals as one of four keynote speakers. The theme of the conference is: Making Sustainability Happen: Goals, Practices, and Challenges. The topic of Jack’s speech will be Biodiversity In The Sea And Why It Matters.

In its mission statement NAEP’s purpose is to maintain “a multidisciplinary, professional association dedicated to the promotion of ethical practices, technical competency, and professional standards in the environmental fields.” http://www.naep.org

The NAEP Conference will be held May 2 – 6, at the Radisson Ft. McDowell, Scottsdale, Arizona.

South Georgia exceeded even our wildest expectations. As we head for the Antarctic Peninsula, I am overwhelmed with a sense of awe that there still exists a place of such wild and rugged beauty and where wildlife reigns in concentrations and diversity that has to be seen to be believed. Our expedition began on the north coast and we cruised down the eastern side of the island, calling at bays, coves, harbors, and fjords along the way.

The Bay of Isles served as our introduction, the early sun illuminating emerald green islets and a dramatic ridge of snow-covered peaks. Our first iceberg could be spotted off in the distance; before us lay the Grace and Lucas Glaciers with the vast open Salisbury Plain in-between. Zodiacs dropped us on the long wide beach and we were immediately engulfed by the sights and sounds of a colony of over 200,000 king Penguins. A three-mile hike took us across the beach, up and over the tussock-covered ridge to an overlook with expansive views of Mt. Ashley, glaciers, the bay, and the penguin colony, which we observed and photographed in all its chaos!

There were adults in various stages of moult, crèches of brown fluffy chicks known as “Oakum boys” that survived the long winter fast and were now begging for food. We saw the full-bellied adults returning to feed their chicks, and adults without chicks were also returning to the beach to begin the mating process, with vocalization and elegant displays of courtship. The penguins are everywhere, literally as far as the eye can see—a wonderful scene. Read more